In surveying a piece of property it is common for a single operator to use a laser measuring instrument that is positioned at a first location to obtain a distance to a target on a prism pole at a second position. The laser measuring instrument emits a fan-shaped beam to initially locate the target and through a radio system uses a signal that is reflected from a target to calculate the distance and often times an elevation difference with respect to the instrument and the target. This system is completely adequate in open fields where a prism pole may be stuck in the ground however when such a system is used to measure the dimensions of a house or building it may not always be possible to insert the pole into the ground at a location adjacent a side wall due to a sidewalk or the foundation of the building. It has been suggested that the target be made into an A shaped member that is self standing. Unfortunately the target face may not always be parallel with the surface of the building for which a measurement is desired and as a result an accurate measurement of distance may not be obtained. In order to obtain an accurate measurement it has been suggested to tape a first target and a second target onto a building surface and thereby obtain first and second distance measurements from the instrument and the angle between the first and second targets with a computer in the instrument using this data to accurately define the distance between the first and second targets. This system, while offering a way of accurately measuring distance, would require an operator to continually tape and reset the targets and, in addition, the computer in the instrument must have a capability of measuring an angle between the targets in calculating the distance.